HLB has decided to raise the level of its response, judging that there are circumstances suggesting unfair trading within the short selling and transaction flows surrounding its own shares. The company's policy is to analyze related trading records and tips to identify the specific entities that planned and executed the orders, and then request investigations by relevant authorities.

[Serious Concerns Disclosed in Shareholder Notice]

HLB recently issued a notice to shareholders stating, "We have continuously monitored short selling and trading trends in the company's shares over a long period," and "We have serious concerns about repeated trading patterns that are difficult to view as normal investment and trading activities."

According to the company, it has repeatedly requested investigations and verification of the trading in question from relevant institutions, including the Korea Exchange. However, having judged that the suspicions it raised have not been sufficiently resolved, the company decided to take more proactive measures to protect shareholder value.

[Plan to Refer Case to Capital Market Special Judicial Police After Identifying Order Planners and Executors]

HLB plans to review related transaction records and submitted materials to identify the planners and executors of the orders behind the transactions it referred to as so-called 'manipulative short selling.' Once relevant evidence and materials are secured, the company intends to formally request investigation and prosecution from relevant authorities, including the Capital Market Special Judicial Police under the Financial Services Commission.

To this end, HLB has also requested data from its shareholder coalition. The company asked the coalition to provide information that could help identify the entities that planned and executed the short-selling-related orders, along with video materials, trading records, and other data it had gathered to request investigations from the Korea Exchange regarding the short-selling stock manipulation suspicions.

HLB will review the materials provided by shareholders, verify objective facts, undergo legal review, and take necessary measures. The company stated, "We will hold accountable and respond to illegal and unfair trading that continuously damages corporate value and harms shareholders through all lawful means possible."

[Suspicion and Investigation Request Stage... Legality to Be Determined Through Legal Procedures]

However, this notice contains suspicions raised by HLB and its future response policy; whether specific transactions actually constitute market manipulation or illegal short selling must be confirmed through investigations by financial authorities and law enforcement agencies and through legal procedures.

[This article was written based on a notice released by HLB. The short selling and unfair trading allegations raised by the company are currently at the suspicion and investigation request stage and do not represent confirmed facts of illegality. This article does not recommend stock investment, and investment decisions and responsibility rest with the investor. AI assistance was used for some data organization and sentence structuring.]